Bentley played games runner Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games. It’s been fifteen years since his first feature appearance, and although he’s had roles in some major films (American Beauty, Ghost Rider, Jonah Hex) it seems the publicity from the sci-fi epic – or maybe it was just his beard – has him aiming for the next tier. Aside from Interstellar, Bentley will appear in the Amanda Seyfried starring Lovelace and the Christian Bale/Natalie Portman-led Knight of Cups, but more importantly has leading roles in The Green Blade Rises (with Jason Clarke and Diane Kruger), Unconscious (alongside Kate Bosworth), Things People Do (the directorial debut of veteran A-list editor Saar Klein), and 3 Nights in the Desert.

Wes Bentley’s an actor on the rise – but is it him or the beard that’s getting more attention?

Interstellar‘s script was written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, who also co-wrote The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. The story deals with time travel and follows explorers as they journey through a wormhole; little other information has been released on the plot of the movie. According to Deadline, the script was inspired by the theories of Caltech astrophysicist Kip Thorn.

Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. are teaming up to produce the flick. Release is planned for November 2014.